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News | 25 June 2025

Letter from the Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Summer break has begun, and we are all looking forward to a well-deserved period of rest. As the school leadership and staff have evaluated the 2024–25 school year and begun planning for the upcoming academic year, we are seeing many positive developments that I would like to share with you, as well as mention some exciting news for next year.

School Results 2024–25

We can conclude that students’ academic performance (grades and national test results) remains consistently strong. Our Year 9 students graduated with an average merit value of 268, which can be compared to Stockholm municipality: 247 (2024), and Sweden as a whole: 228 (2024). The percentage of our Year 9 students eligible for upper secondary school was 94%, compared to Stockholm's 87% (2024).

Even more encouraging is the significant increase in student satisfaction in our quality survey — all of the following areas have improved by 7–10%: Feedback from teachers, Teachers listen, I feel safe at school, and Adults act against bullying. We also ask the question every year: “How satisfied are you with the school overall?” and this year the response from students increased by 13%, reaching historically high levels.
This clear increase in student satisfaction is very encouraging for students, staff, and parents alike. It is also confirmation that the initiative we launched this year to enhance safety and a calm study environment has had a positive impact.

News for the 2025–26 School Year

While we are pleased with these positive results, we continue to improve quality in all areas. Here is a brief summary of some updates for the upcoming school year:

Printed Textbooks - Starting from the 2025–26 academic year, all students at IES Årsta will use printed learning resources. Previously, older year groups primarily used digital resources.  We see that traditional books benefit a larger number of students’ learning, and in particular, they help to boost reading comprehension and reading skills. A skill that is declining among students. 

Mobile Phone Collection Routines - IES Årsta has always been a mobile-free school, but we are noticing increasing challenges with students struggling to keep their phones in the lockers. Therefore, from the 2025–26 school year, all mobile phones will be collected in the morning and returned after the last lesson of the day. Students can still call parents via the reception throughout the day, and parents can also reach students the same way. Society as a whole needs to reconsider screen time and mobile use by setting clear boundaries for our children and students to reduce the negative impact on learning and safety that mobile phones have for many.

New Legislation on Crime Prevention in Schools - Starting July 1, a new law will require all schools in Sweden to carry out systematic preventive work against crime. This includes, for example, staff training, proactive student engagement on crime-related topics, cooperation with the police and other authorities, and an increased obligation to report crimes committed at school. While IES Årsta already have strong routines in this area, we will also revise our routines and our preventative measures.

Parent Meeting - I would also like to remind you in advance about the first parent meeting of the year, which will take place on Wednesday, August 27. More information about the time and content will be shared in August.

Thank you for your continued cooperation throughout the school year. 

I wish you all a warm, calm, and relaxing summer with your children.

Kind regards,

Mr Gellerstedt